Direct connecting downhole control system

• US 8,091,648 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2010
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-3 Property Holdings, Inc. (NOV, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: T-3 Property Holdings, Inc. (NOV, Inc.)
• Inventors: Allen, Robert Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Beach, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAYRE, JAMES G
• Application Number:
  US12/913,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20110036595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 285/123.1, 285/123.2, 285/123.5, 285/123.12, 166/90.1, 166/305.1, 166/279, 166/88.4, 166/75.13, 166/75.14, 166/375, 166/343, 166/368
• US Class Current: 166/382
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/03 Well heads; Setting-up thereof

Abstract

A system and method are provided for direct connecting downhole control hydraulics through an oil field hanger, where the hanger is coupled to a wellhead, to hydraulic lines extending outside the wellhead. Further, the direct connection allows hydraulic system integrity with reduced contamination and leakage. Hydraulic tool ports, formed on the hanger, are coupled with hydraulic lines extending downward to a hydraulic tool. Side ports, formed in the hanger, are fluidicly coupled to the hydraulic tool ports. Hydraulic lines extending outside the wellhead are directly coupled with the side ports by accessing the side ports through access openings in the wellhead when the ports are aligned with the access openings. The system can still maintain pressure within internal spaces of the wellhead after the connection by sealing the access openings with flanges, where the hydraulic lines extend through openings in the flanges that are also sealed around the lines.

Claims

1. A wellhead system for use with a downhole hydraulic tool to control well-bore pressure, comprising:

a hanger having a hanger hydraulic tool port adapted to be coupled to the downhole hydraulic tool and a hanger hydraulic side port in fluid communication with said hanger hydraulic tool port;

a wellhead adapted to support said hanger;

an access opening formed through said wellhead, said hanger hydraulic side port alignable with said wellhead access opening;

a seal between said hanger and said wellhead configured to seal said access opening from the well-bore pressure; and

a wellhead hydraulic line extending in said access opening and connectable with said hanger hydraulic side port when said hanger hydraulic side port is aligned with said wellhead access opening.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an annulus region above and below said hanger hydraulic side port, wherein said seal between said hanger and said wellhead, comprising:

a first annular seal above said wellhead access opening and a second annular seal below said wellhead access opening to seal said annulus region.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a sealing member adapted to form a seal with the access opening, the sealing member having a sealable opening through which said wellhead hydraulic line may extend.

4. A method for providing hydraulic fluid to a hydraulically operated downhole tool to be used in a well-bore, comprising the steps of:

positioning a wellhead with the well-bore, said wellhead having an access opening;

positioning a hanger with said wellhead, said hanger having a hanger side port and a hanger tool port, said hanger side port and said hanger tool port being in fluid communication;

aligning said hanger side port with said wellhead access opening to seal said wellhead access opening from the well-bore;

sealing said hanger with said wellhead; and

extending a wellhead hydraulic line in said access opening to connect with said hanger.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

connecting one end of said wellhead hydraulic line with said hanger side port; and

sealing said wellhead access opening while allowing said wellhead hydraulic line to extend in said wellhead access opening for providing the hydraulic fluid.

6. A wellhead system for use with a downhole hydraulic tool, comprising:

a hanger having a hydraulic tool port adapted to be coupled to the downhole tool, and a hydraulic side port in the hanger in fluid communication with the hanger tool port;

a wellhead hydraulic line;

a wellhead adapted to support the hanger;

an access opening formed through the wellhead, said hanger hydraulic side port alignable with said wellhead access opening;

a first sealing member threadedly received with the access opening and adapted to form a seal with the access opening, said sealing member having a sealable opening through which said wellhead hydraulic line may extend, said wellhead hydraulic line is connectable with the hanger hydraulic side port when the hanger side port is aligned with the wellhead access opening; and

a first annular seal above said access opening and a second annular seal below said access opening configured to seal between said hanger and the wellhead.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a tool hydraulic line coupled between the downhole tool and the hydraulic tool port.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said wellhead hydraulic line is sealed in the first sealing member sealable opening.

9. The system of claim 6, further comprising a plurality of wellhead hydraulic lines and a plurality of hanger side ports.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a second sealing member and a second access opening in the wellhead, wherein each of said plurality of hanger side ports are simultaneously alignable with one of said access openings.

11. The system of claim 6, further comprising an indicator on the first sealing member configured to verify a hydraulic connection of the wellhead hydraulic line.

12. The system of claim 6, further comprising a pressure test port in the wellhead to indicate whether the access opening is pressurized.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein said first sealing member seals against internal pressures in the wellhead that may exceed 10,000 PSI.

14. The system of claim 6, further comprising the hanger having a reduced portion, wherein the hanger side port is disposed in said reduced portion of said hanger.

15. The system of claim 6, wherein said first annular seal and second annular seal are non-metal.

16. The system of claim 6, wherein the wellhead is a unitized drilling wellhead that comprises a casing head and casing spool installed as a single unit.

17. The system of claim 6, wherein the wellhead is sized to receive a plurality of hangers.

18. The system of claim 6, wherein the downhole tool comprises a downhole deployment valve.

19. A method for providing hydraulic fluid to a hydraulically operated downhole tool to be used in a well-bore, comprising the steps of:

positioning a wellhead with the well-bore, said wellhead having an access opening;

coupling the hydraulically operated tool with a tubular;

coupling said tubular with a hanger, said hanger having a hanger side port and a hanger tool port, said hanger side port and said hanger tool port being in fluid communication;

connecting a tool hydraulic line from the hydraulically operated tool to said hanger tool port;

aligning said hanger side port with said wellhead access opening while simultaneously aligning a first annular seal above said wellhead access opening and aligning a second annular seal below said wellhead access opening;

sealing said hanger with said wellhead with said first annular seal; and

sealing said hanger with said wellhead with said second annular seal, wherein said wellhead access opening being sealed from the well-bore after the steps of sealing said hanger with said first annular seal and said second annular seal.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

sealing said wellhead access opening with an annulus region defined by said first annular seal, said second annular seal, said hanger and said wellhead.